Stick holder



1949. L. D. OVERLAND STICK HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

LEO OVER 1.1 2010 1 l4 7 TOR/V5) eral, be classified in two categories.

' tures.

Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED 'STATESPATENT OFFICE STICK HOLDER Leo D. Overland, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 5, 1945, Serial No. 581,158

1 Claim. (01. 294-87) 1 This invention is concerned with multiple stick holders, the same being devices to hold releasably in preselected position a plurality of sticks which are used as handles for frozen confections. These sticks are elongated and have rectangular transverse cross-sections'so that the longitudinalmaintain the cross-sectional dimensions constant,

commercially, the width and thickness of the sticks are subject to substantialvariations.

Present-day multiple stick holders may, in gen- One type of multiple stick holder includes a plurality of vertically extending elements, against each of which a stick is pressed simultaneously by a horizontally movable element, the direction of travel of which intersects the vertical element. In the other type of multiple stick holder, a central plate is disposed between an upper and a lower plate, all the plates being provided with registered aper- The central plate is shiftable relative to the other two plates in such manner that when gripping a stick, an edge of each aperture in the 2 ciently engage the narrow edges of the narrower sticks.

Thus in both types of stick holders, movement of the stick gripping members is limited by their inability to further compress the larger sticks.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved multiple stick holder which grips with substantially the same firmness a plurality of sticks whose widths and thicknesses vary materially, although they are all of the same order of size.

In general, I carry out this object by providing a stick holder of the second type, i. e., one comprising three superimposed gripping members, of which the middle one is shiftable relative to the top and bottom ones, and forming central plate is pressed against a longitudinal 7 surface of the stick while a pair of registered edges of the correspondin apertures in the upper and lower plates are pressed against the opposite longitudinal stick surface. In this latter type of stick holder, it is now the practice to have a portion ofthe edge of each aperture engage a narrow edge of the stick, regardless of whether or not a'wide face of the stick is additionally engaged.

Due to the aforementioned, constructions,

neither type of present-day commercial multiple stick holder is able to grip a large number of sticks in such manner that all the sticks are held tightly enough to prevent some from being pulled I out of the stick holder, particularly when the In the case of the second type of stick holder,

a non-uniform holding action occurs where some sticks are broader, than others. The, broader sticks prevent the stick holder from gripping tightly the narrowersticks, since after engagingthe narrow edges of the broader sticks, the central plate can notshift enough more to sumregistered apertures in said three members. The outline and dimensions of said apertures are so selected, proportioned and arranged with regard to the relative movement of the gripping members and the order of size of the sticks that the sticks are engaged only on their wide faces, there being substantiallyno engagement on the narrow edges. This latter feature is of extreme importance, since if the apertures are designed to engage the narrow edges of sticks of average width and if a few overwide sticks are placed in the stick holder, such sticks will prevent the stick holder from fully closin to properly engage the wide faces. Furthermore, the apertures are designed to bow or bend slightly the wide faces thereby compensating for variations in the thick- -nesses of the sticks. Preferably, the three gripping members are so relativelyv moved that the middle member is shifted normal to the wide faces of the sticks, although it will be appreciated that it will sufice, in accordance with the spirit of myinvention, to shift the middle member obliquely in such manner that it merely has a component of movement normal to the wide faces of the sticks.

It is another object of my invention to provide a multiple stick holder of ,the character described in which the three gripping members can be assembled or taken apart with greate'ase.

An additional object of the invention is to pro- I vide a multiple stick holder having a novel safety feature for protecting the fingers of .an operator. A further object of the invention is to provide a multiple stick holder which comprises relatively few and simple parts, and which is rugged in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and highly efficient in use. v

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Fig. l;- is aaitop .planvview :ofia multiple-2 stick holderembodying my 'invention, the handle being shown in closed or gripping position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view therethrough taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Fign l;

Fig. 2a is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 211- 211 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the stick holder;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 5 -4 and 5-5, respectively; of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but With-the l handle illustrated .in :open-.or releasing position.

:Referringmow .to :.the drawings, I- have i there sshown; amultiple stick. holder; t; designed to releasably grip a plurality -0fel0ngated flat wooden s-stickszs of thetype :customarilyemployed in the 'manufacture of'han'dledfrozen confections. Said sticks have a cross-section of rectangular .outline, :bestsshownein-Fig. 1, thereby providing two elongated wide faces F and two elongated'narrowsedges-E. 'Allof the sticks are'of'the same vorder of size. :Forexamplesaid sticks may be -3Ib0llt lOf vanrinch 'wide and about :of an inch-thick. However,:it is commercially 'im- .;.practical,: :as .noted;earlier, to :keep these' dimensionswithin:c1ose tolerances.

general, ;the stickrholder 51-:0 .comprises a .hollow :Ielongated :box;-like': member l2, including :anrelongate'd' top plate Mi'which formsthe upper sgrippingnmember and: an elongated-bottom plate '16 which -:forms the wlower rgripping member. aThese-i two: platestare parallel to; and; spacect'frorn 1 each -rother. :In'termediate saidz'plates, I; provide raithird'gripping member inxthe shape ofianpelongatedcentral :plate i=8Wvhi(:h..-is parallel :to and :spaced:.from "the'top andxbottom'iplates. :"A' pair :of spaced handleszfl, one "at each-end of the stick ---holder, expedite manipulation of the-stick -.-holder and "carrying of c the same from .place to rplace. In addition, a manually actuable locking :hanadlez22; iss'employedato 1 shift: the central grip- :ping member 18".1toward :and away from-closed .position.

."I'he box i 2 maybe conveniently stamped or pressed. from a light. gauge non-corrodible metal, such as rMonel :metal, T01 stainless. steel, and is .preferably'madei in two sectionsso'ras to permit reasy separation .of 1 the various: elements of :the astickholderdor :cleaning.

.The upper box section includes the template F- l;4.-from whosellongitudinal:edges'r'depend: flanges r2 having. inturnedifreexsends' 'zfii-zupon'z which the -;bottom.--.and '.:.central plates :aare fsupported. .Ifhe bottomiboxs section .includesthexbottom. .plate Hi from 'whose.longitudinalzedges: flangesuz 8v project into "frictional i-engagement -lwith 1 the top plate -14. Said bottom;sectionisaslidably.receivedYon rthe inturnedends (25, the-limitcof: its insertion .into the .upper section being determined byrabutment of .notcheslnot-shown) eat-an end o'f-said .bottom .sectionagainst stops-30 at an endv of the upper box section.

The .centralplate J8 .has (dependent, longitudinal and .end;.flanges 32,- .33 which rest .upon

the bottom plate I6 and thus space said central plate a proper distance from the bottom plate. Said central plate is narrower than the upper and lower box sections, so that it may 5 be shifted from the front to the'back thereof.

The manually actuable locking handle 22 for effecting this shifting movement comprises an elongatedmetallic strip having terminal extensions 34 one near each manipulating handle 20. lOCTSaid"extensions are pivot'a'lly securedl by rivets '36 to ears 38 struck front the top 'plate" M. Further, ea-ch extension is interconnected by a link M9 to a flat coupling member 42 which is constrained to move with the central plate I8. Said coupling member is formed from heavy gauge sheet material and includes an upstanding body section. resting on the top plate l4. Said member is pivotally attached to an end of the link-iflfland has two dependent legs 46, 48 which are received in matching apertures 50, 52 in *the centraltplate it. Each leg has a large projectionfillocated between the. central plate l8 --and topplate hi to maintain the rpropenspacing therebetween. The body-sectioned andonefof the; projections" 54- .between them define 1a.. retainslot :56 which s1idably-:receives..a portion of the. top. plate Hi .toprevent the couplingrmember if: from being accidentallydisconnected fromcthe central plate. .Both .legs r46, .48 freely .pass through guiding-slots .58 in the top plate 14, thereby permitting free sliding movement of the coupling: member. .These slots -are longer 1 than .theretaining slot 55 ;sothat when the locking handleis moved beyondits fully open. position :15- (shcwn in Fig. 6) the couplingme-mber' can be :liitedout of engagement with the. central. plate suchtimeas the stick holderis-to be-disas- :sembled. I

Withthe foregoing construction, .movement, of the-locking handle from .the position-shown in r'Figa-fimo that shownin -Fig.- 5 will: cause .the central plate l 8 1 to shift i from the :back :toward the-frontofthestick-holder. As will laterbe explained, this ,.movement.of the center plate efiectuatesaggripping action onut-he sticksS.

In'the closed or .grippingstateuof the'stick holder, shown in Fig. 5, it wil1 beobserved that .therivet fill-which pivotally-interconnects an end of-lthe link 40 to. akterminal extension 34 is dis- ,posed below a line: running between the-rivet 36 .andtherivet-M which pivotally interconnects .the other end-of .thelink'w w .to the coupling member-M. Thustthev handle is locked beyond a .dead:centerposition when closed. If desired,a slot 641 may be formed in an end of the link-40 .to receive the rivet 62.

1 Although. cooperation between the guiding slots 58 and. flat legs 46,48 .afltords 'the -desired' control of the front-to-back -movement of the central (30 ,plate 1 8,7. additional r guiding means may I be 'pro- .vided to reduce .the ,weareon said: slotsiand legs. .Such means :comprises. three." depending .studsiSB secured to the top plate 41.4. andrislidabl'yjreceived .inzfront-toebackaslots..68 in the/central plate l8. FIt may 1 also .be {desired ,-to-' emplo'y additional ameans .to "maintain the proper spacing between the top andcentral' plates, and such means in the .instant embodiment of my invention comprises a" pair of upstanding pins HII supportedton: the .central plate --and slidably engagin the lower surface of the top plate.

Heretofore, much trouble has been experienced .in! handling stick holders, particularly after the :same' have been chilledduring freezingof the con- 7 fections -and. it=-is..desireda to pull the frozen econlatter to press against thettop plate l4. In effect 1 this cooks the locking handle so that when it receives an impulse sufficient to raise the rivet 68 above dead center, said handle will 'fiy uprapidly. Ithas been proposed to overcome thisdifilculty byplacing all parts of the locking handle,22,far

enough away from the manipulating handles 20 so that the locking handle 22 could not be touched evenaccidentally when the stickholder was lifted.

However, this further complicated operation of the stick holder since an operator desiring to release the sticks could notreach the locking handle withher fingers while at the same time holding the manipulating handles.

Inaccordance with a feature of the present inventiomI overcome such, trouble. by providing laterally extending" portions, such as reverse bends 12. at opposite ends of the locking handle 22. These reverse bends are disposed close enough to themanipulating handles. 20 to allow them to be reached by the finger tips of an operator who is holding said manipulating handles. However, said reverse bends permit the terminal extensions 34 to be spaced far enough'away from said manipulating handles so that they cannot be touched even accidentally by an operator'holding the stick holder by the manipulating handles. .The terminal extensions are made much longer in a front-to-back direction than the corresponding dimension of the reverse bends 12, so as to provide ample room on the manipulating'handles within which anpperator can grasp the same without endangering her fingers. e The several plates l4, l6 and i8 each have a set of apertures 14, 16 and 18, the apertures in each plate being mutually arranged in a manner which is determined by the type of multiple frozen confection mold with which the stick holder 10 is adapted to be employed. Ordinarily, a multiple frozen confection mold has the several cavities thereof disposed in a plurality of parallel rows with the cavities in each row registered along lines running perpendicular to said rows. The sets of apertures 14, 16, 18 are arranged in such manner. Said apertures further are so mutually arranged and of such size and shape that when the locking handle 22 is in the open position shown in Fig. 6 the overlying edges of a group of apertures are in substantial alignment anddefine an effective aperture much larger all around than the cross-sectional contour of a stick whereby a stick may be placed in the same easily. Such effective aperture will be referred to hereinafter as the receiving aperture.

Said groups of apertures furthermore are of such configuration that when the locking handle 22 is in the closed position shown in Fig. 5, having moved the central plate as far forward as possible, the effective aperture G (Fig. 2a) defined by an overlying group of apertures 14, I6, i8 is smaller all around than the receiving aperture. This latter effective aperture will be referred to hereinafter as the gripping aperture. Said gripping aperture is elongated and its longitudinal axis is transverse to the direction of movement of the central plate. The longitudinal edges of the gripping aperture aresubstantially straight so that they can flatly press against the wide facesof a stick.

Pursuant to my invention, these edges are parallel to eachother, have a lengthat leastequal to the width of an average stick and are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the thickness of the thinnest stick likely to be used in the stick holder. By virtue of this construction, the stick holderis able to pick up a plurality of .sticks having' cross-sectional dimensions of the same order but varying widely fromone another. My improved stick-holder is able to function in this manner because when the central plate is shifted to fully'closed or gripping position, there is no tendency for the apertures in the plates to engage the narrow edges of average width sticks whereby to prevent the central plate from moving to fully closed position when an overwidestick is inthestick holder. If some overwide sticks are in the stick holder, their narrow edges will merely be lightly engaged, since the opposed straight portions of longitudinal edges of the gripping-aperture are at least as long as the width of an average stick. This is in contrast with present-day commercial multiple stick holders in which the gripping apertures are designed to en-v gage the narrow edges of the narrowest sticks. If overwide sticks are present in such former stick holder, by the time said overwide sticks have been engaged by the apertures, substantial resistance is offered to further movement and it requires a strength greater; than that possessed by an ordinary operator to thereafter move the central plate to a position in which it firmly engages'the narrow edges, of I the average sticks, much less those of an underwidth stick.

It will thus be appreciated that with the stick holder herein described,.the center plate can always be moved-to the f-ul'ly closedposition. for which. it was designed. As mentioned earlier, the width of the gripping aperture is less than the thicknessof the narrowest stick placed in the stick holder. Since-the several lates are mutually spaced apart, the use of a gripping aperture of such size will cause the sticks to be slightly bowed or bent when gripped in the stick holder, as shown exaggeratively in Figs. 3-5. This bowing; action, causes substantial frictional engagement between the longitudinal edges of the gripping aperture and opposite wide faces of a stick. As even the thinnest stick will be bowed, it will be obvious that thicker sticks will likewise be bowed, so that the stick holder will firmly grip sticks of all thicknesses. Furthermore, it will now be appreciated that by enabling the central plate to move to fully closed position, I make certain that even the thinnest sticks will be gripped.

It will be understood from the foregoing description of the operation of the stick holder that the actual shapes of the apertures 14, I6, 18 are not important, it being merely necessary for each of these apertures to have one straight edge which is adapted to press against a wide face of the stick, this straight edge in closed position of the central plate being at least as long as the width of an average stick and forming one of the opposed straight portions of a longitudinal edge of a gripping aperture. It will further be appreciated that each aperture should include an angular, but not necessarily straight,

portion running from at least one end of such straight edge, so as to properly orient the stick fegtiorg or to allow thdsurfa-ce the ten hedff that there is provide w ou lin f'me ei RE ERENo si oiiED f The. l wie i'i ii f ii wrd n. the mg 9f this patent: UNi'ffiosTA'rEs PATENTS 1am? We reof to be e 2e? 

